'I didn't know how to handle fame. At times I wished I had never won the Olympic medal because of the fuss it caused' PAUL MARTIN'S BIG SATURDAY INTERVIEW: Boxing champ Kenny Egan.KENNY Egan told me if he was going to break his self-imposed media exile, it would be on HIS terms. He wanted to do it somewhere where this most private of sporting heroes is most comfortable and can really be himself. Little did I realise this was what he had in mind. "We'll get in the ring and go a few rounds - I won't go too hard on you," he promised, with a slightly unnerving un·nerve tr.v. un·nerved, un·nerv·ing, un·nerves 1. To deprive of fortitude, strength, or firmness of purpose. 2. To make nervous or upset. giggle. "We're going to get you in the ring to see what you are made of," he added. I figured it had to be worth it. A few digs in return for the first interview since Kenny mania swept Ireland last summer - DEAL! After a few bruises, sweating, tears and what I can honestly say was the most gruelling workout I have ever suffered, Ken was ready to talk. The boxing star is one of Ireland's biggest media enigmas. His sporting prowess captivated cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. the country during the Olympics as his jabs, hooks and uppercuts brought him a silver medal. But glory came at a price. Kenny, 27, turned into an instant hero and his every move became a public event. INFAMOUS A pint in the pub, a relationship breakup breakup The division of a company into separate parts. The most famous breakup to date was the 1984 division of AT&T (formerly, American Telephone & Telegraph Company). This breakup was intended to increase competition in the communications industry. , a night on the town with a reality TV star - it all made the headlines. Some sportsmen would have relished such a tag - but it was the last thing he wanted. Kenny was on the ropes and facing one of his toughest fights ever - to survive the pressure of life in the spotlight. And then there was the infamous AWOL incident when he failed to turn up for a big fight, instead fleeing to the US unannounced and igniting a media storm. Yet when I meet him in the National Boxing Stadium, any notions of a playboy or big-time Charlie are dispelled. He's lean, toned, muscled and in great shape. He even walks with an energy that suggests he could explode into a fighting machine at any moment. There's no flashiness or ego as he changes into his workout gear and leads me into the ring. I ask him if he was happier before he had actually won the medal. He replies: "It's 50-50. There are times when you say, 'Jesus, that medal has cost me a lot of hassle. Sometimes I wish I had never won it at all'. "But at the same time I trained all my life for it and it's the best medal I have ever had to date. "So as long as I'm in here training, getting up and feeling healthy I love my life." In the immediate aftermath of the Games, Kenny was thrust into a dazzling world of adulation ad·u·la·tion n. Excessive flattery or admiration. [Middle English adulacioun, from Old French, from Latin ad and fame. He admits he had no idea how to deal with it. He quickly earned a "playboy" tag as he was pictured at showbiz parties, seemingly enjoying the high life. Kenny is keen to point out it wasn't the whole story. He added: "When I got back form the Beijing I had a few months off I thought I deserved them. I trained for that medal for 18 years and I needed a break. "Suddenly when I came back the whole country knew me. Before that I was just in here training and keeping myself to myself. I was a nobody out there on the street. I had won eight national championships but nobody knew me. "It was a massive change for me. I was sweating my ass off six days a week to get ready for the Olympics so when we got home I wanted to unwind Unwind 1. The closure of an investment position. 2. The reconciliation of an error previously unseen by a brokerage house. Notes: 1. Sometimes referred to as closing out a position. a bit. "Suddenly I was all over the place, everyone wanted a piece of me and I didn't know what was going on to be honest." Kenny knew his life had changed beyond recognition as soon as he stepped off the plane from China. He said: "It was clear things were different. There were reporters knocking on my door, people digging into my private life. "It was unreal at the time. People ringing the house, everyone wanting you for this and that, journalists, Tubridy, the whole world." Are you more suspicious of people now? Kenny replied: "Definitely. I won't do any interviews with anyone. Screw doing the press. Other than this I'm not doing anything. "It's got to the stage I won't even drink in Ireland. Everyone has camera phones and suddenly it's in the paper if you go out for a pint. "So I have a couple of holidays booked for October - my brother lives in Germany. I will go there and have a few drinks because I'll be on a break from boxing. REVELLER rev·el intr.v. rev·eled also rev·elled, rev·el·ing also rev·el·ling, rev·els also rev·els 1. To take great pleasure or delight: She reveled in her unaccustomed leisure. "I can let my hair down there and have a good time without always having to look over my shoulder. "I haven't even been into town since this all went off. I never go there any more." It's not surprising Kenny has isolated himself from the social scene. One of his last nights out in Dublin ended with a drunken reveller Noun 1. drunken reveller - someone who engages in drinking bouts bacchanal, bacchant, drunken reveler imbiber, juicer, toper, drinker - a person who drinks alcoholic beverages (especially to excess) trying to start a fight with him. He recalled: "We were actually in a kebab shop late at night and this guy comes in and said, 'You couldn't even win the gold, you're nothing'. He wanted to have it out there and then. "I've never had a fight with anyone in my life out of the ring. I just walked away. "My view has always been that if someone wants to have a fight let's come into the ring and do it like men where everything is equal. There are too many people these days who could pull a knife. "After the fight, win or lose I would shake the other guy's hand and it would be over with. I can't be doing with having punch ups in the street. It's not right." Kenny's increasingly controversial reputation hit a low point when he disappeared on the eve On the Eve (Накануне in Russian) is the third novel by famous Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, best known for his short stories and the novel Fathers and Sons. of a big boxing tournament with his Irish team-mates. He is admirably honest and frank as he talks about the incident for the first time. He conceded: "I made a mistake in going to America "Going to America" is the final episode to be aired of Father Ted. It is the 8th episode of the third series of the Channel 4 sitcom and the 25th episode overall. Synopsis . I didn't think the country would have gone as mad as it did. It was on the Six One news and everything. "People in this country boo me you know, it even happened the other night when I was fighting. But that's the Irish all over. People in this country would like to see me beaten. "I was under pressure but at the same time it was the wrong thing to do. I shouldn't have gone to America. I should have been honest and said I wasn't ready. "I apologised though. I learnt my lesson and since then I haven't been in the papers, I have been behaving." Kenny is the first to admit his brief flirtation with the party lifestyle caused more problems than it was worth. He added: "Once I'm away from the party lifestyle I'm the perfect son as my mother would say. It is a temptation, it is hard when you see other people going out but you have to get over it. "But compared to what I get out of being in the ring it's nothing. I'd rather be training and fighting than going out." And despite his string of national championships and Olympic medal he's hungrier than ever for success. WINNING "As Tiger Woods  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled. says, 'It's all about the Ws.
Winning, winning winning'.
"I love getting in the ring and winning, making a guy look stupid, making him miss. Feeling my hand being raised to win the fight." After a brief break where Kenny invites me to spar with him (I was crawling on the floor with exhaustion by the end) I ask him if he can see himself settling down with Mrs Right and starting a family. He grins and shakes his head: "Not at the minute. I'm very selfish when I'm in boxing mode. I find it almost impossible to commit to anything else. "I'm married to my boxing. My mam always says as long as I'm happy she doesn't mind when I settle down. "There were five brothers in my house so there's no shortage of marriages, kids and all that. But that's in the future for me. It's not something that I want any time soon." I ask him what his greatest moment has been to date. Surprisingly it's not the famous night he picked up his silver medal. He said: "It was the night I actually qualified to reach the Games. It was in Athens. "I was trailing in the fight and I had to go out there and box my heart out. I said to myself, 'Right Kenny, are you going to let this go? This is your life-long dream'. I went out there and totally outboxed the guy in the last round. "When the fight ended I fell to my knees. The monkey was off my back. It was amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. . I was going to the Olympics. "I called my mam and we both cried down the phone. I'll never forget that as long as I live." With that he packs up his gear and we stroll out to the car park together. He said: "Do me a favour, don't go down the road of talking about all that sensationalist sen·sa·tion·al·ism n. 1. a. The use of sensational matter or methods, especially in writing, journalism, or politics. b. Sensational subject matter. c. Interest in or the effect of such subject matter. stuff about me in the past. It's really not me." And you know what? After a morning with Kenny I believe him. HOW MIRROR MAN PAUL GOT BATTERED & BRUISED IN RING Round 1 I GO ON THE OFFENSIVE WITH RIGHT HOOK BUT EGAN BLOCKS Round 2 OUCH ouch 1 interj. Used to express sudden pain or displeasure. ouch interj an exclamation of sharp sudden pain ouch excl → ¡ay! ! EGAN UPPERCUT HAS ME QUIET FOR A CHANGE Round 3 ALL OVER & IT LOOKS LIKE I'LL BE KEEPING MY DAY JOB CAPTION(S): PRIZE FIGHTER prize fighter n → boxeador m profesional Kenny with belts and medals BACK ON TRACK Kenny Egan is totally focused on boxing again CLOSE With mum Maura SILVER SERVICE Olympic medal in Beijing PARTY BOY With Chantelle |
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